Tinubu deploys defence minister to Kebbi as search intensifies for abducted schoolgirls

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of State for Defence, Alhaji Bello Matawalle, to immediately relocate to Kebbi State following the abduction of students from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga.

According to a State House statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the minister is expected to remain in the state to oversee and coordinate ongoing security operations aimed at rescuing the abducted schoolgirls.

At least 24 students were seized by gunmen during an early-morning attack on the school at about 4 a.m. on Monday.

The incident has renewed concerns about school safety in northern Nigeria, where armed groups have repeatedly targeted educational institutions.

Matawalle, a former governor of Zamfara State, is noted for his experience dealing with banditry and kidnap-for-ransom incidents.

During his tenure in 2021, 279 female students were abducted from Government Girls Science Secondary School, Jangebe, before they were released days later.

The presidency also confirmed that President Tinubu has postponed his planned trips to Johannesburg, South Africa, and Luanda, Angola, as he awaits additional security briefings on both the Kebbi abductions and the recent attack on worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State.

Security agencies have intensified efforts to track the perpetrators, while the federal government reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safe return of the students.